Abihail
“Father of might or endowed with strength”
Summary
A name borne by five persons in Scripture, including the father of Queen Esther and the wife of King Rehoboam.
☩Father of Esther
Abihail was the father of Esther and uncle of Mordecai. When Esther became queen of Persia, she is identified as 'Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai.' The family relationship indicates that Mordecai was Esther's cousin who adopted her after her parents' death.
☩Wife of Rehoboam
Another Abihail was a wife of King Rehoboam of Judah. She was a descendant of Eliab, the eldest brother of David, which means the marriage reinforced the royal family's connections to the broader house of Jesse. Some interpreters understand the passage to mean she was the mother of Rehoboam's wife Mahalath rather than his wife herself.
Related Verses6 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Abihail," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. I (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Abihail," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. I (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).